Moorestown Boys' Golf 'Close, But No Cigar'

It was a good year for the Moorestown boys’ golf team. Just not good enough.

The boys (16-2) competed in the Group 3 sectional tournament earlier this week, finishing in third place behind Burlington Township and Mainland. Justin DeVany, the team’s No. 1 player, finished sixth.

Solid finishes, no doubt, but only the top two teams and the top five players get to advance to the state finals at Hopewell Valley, coach Tim O’Reilly said. “We were close, but no cigar, both as a team and on an individual level.”

Moorestown performed at a high level all season, —early in the season and beating an undefeated Haddonfield team. And they played well at the sectional tournament, O’Reilly said. But their competition played slightly better.

“It wasn’t so much we did poorly. (Our competitors) did so well. It was hard to beat them,” he said. “Burlington Township’s score would’ve beaten anybody in South Jersey … In that case, you just have to give credit to the other teams.”

O’Reilly said his team excelled all year, finishing in the top 10 at a number of competitions, including a seventh place finish at the Garden State Cup and a ninth place finish at the Carl Arena Golf Tournament.

“I don’t know if anybody would have predicted we’d come as far as we’ve come this year,” said the coach.

The team’s season isn’t quite over yet. They’ll face three of the top teams in South Jersey at the beginning of next week, taking on Cherokee and Lenape on Monday and Tuesday respectively, and then facing Burlington Township—probably the best team in the region, according to O’Reilly—on Wednesday at home.

He said the Quakers could tie for first place in the Liberty Division if they defeat Burlington Township, and if Burlington Township loses to Rancocas Valley earlier in the week.

The boys close out their season at the Burlington County Scholastic League Open on May 31 at Rancocas Golf Club.

O’Reilly said the team will return almost all its players—with the exception of Wes Kerr—next season and has a great chance to build on this year’s successes.

“(This year) was as enjoyable a year as I’ve ever had,” O’Reilly said. “It’s a great group of guys.”